The Free Press, Mankato, MN

NCAA Basketball

February 22, 2012

UConn coach Calhoun to undergo surgery on Monday

The Hartford Courant

UConn will be missing coach Jim Calhoun for at least two more games.

Calhoun, 69, will have a surgical procedure on Monday to relieve his spinal condition, which will keep him from coaching against Syracuse on Saturday night and at Providence next Tuesday. A statement from the school said that he will be evaluated each day with a return for the final game of the regular season, against Pittsburgh on March 3, still possible.

“I’m glad we have finally determined the best course of treatment to deal with the problem,” said Calhoun, who has spinal stenosis. “I’m looking forward to having the procedure done, hopefully recovering as quickly as possible and putting it all in the past.”

Spinal stenosis is a degenerative or arthritic condition caused when the spinal column narrows, crowding nerves and causing pain in the lower back and legs. Calhoun has been treating the problem with exercise and physical therapy since the summer, but in early February the pain intensified and he took a medical leave of absence on Feb. 3.

He has seen numerous specialists to determine the best course of action. On Tuesday, Calhoun told The Courant that he was “still in a lot of lower back pain,” an indication that after 10 days, treatment without surgery was not effective. He met with doctors Wednesday, and they decided on surgery.

Typically, the surgery is a “decompression,” in which parts of the spinal canal are removed to take pressure off the affected nerves. Calhoun will be hospitalized for one or two nights following the procedure, a school spokesman said.

The recovery time following surgery varies widely and depends on how invasive the surgery must be.

If Calhoun cannot return for the Pitt game, the Big East tournament in New York begins on March 6.

When and if he does return, the Huskies will probably still be fighting for postseason position. UConn (17-10, 7-8 Big East) is 5-4 under associate head coach George Blaney, including three games during Calhoun’s NCAA-imposed suspension. The Huskies are 3-3 while Calhoun has been out with his back problem. Assistants Kevin Ollie, Glen Miller and Karl Hobbs all take on added duties with Calhoun out.

NCAA bracket analysts place UConn, ranked 27 in the RPI, on the borderline for making the tournament. The Huskies probably need to win at least two of their remaining three games, and perhaps one or two in the conference tournament.

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